Power, injection, fuses, amps, watts, I have long found this part of the hobby very, very confusing.
But I am determined to learn, I still find amps and watts way over my head but I guess I will get there...
...todays question is more about current draw (I think) through a fuse....
When I built my mega tree I followed Ruprects instructions, pretty much to the letter, even buying the same 600w meanwell power supply. I its run pretty well for 3 years just of that one power supply (which I did blow up this year and have 2 new 600w arriving today..... ). The tree has 8 injection, fuses (15amp no reasoning behind this and that's way to big I know, I think 10amp would suffice, and I think the wire would cope. but again no actual reasoning behind that thought). These branch out into 4 injection points each, so effectively each fuse is responsible for just 176 12v pixels.
However, I think, with the way its put together, if a fuse blows, rather than one section of the tree going out, (or I guess all the tree, depending on which fuse blows) the load will be passed to the next fuse, presumably blowing it, because its now overloaded, and then the same thing happens again, until all 8 fuses are blown....
I think I need to be cutting power at some point to isolate each fuse from the others.
SOOOO.... I am updating my 5v arches.... 100pixels per arch. I have used 3pin pigtails for the power ground and data in, and out, however on the out pigtail I have not connected the power wire. For power at both ends I have 2pin pigtails connected to both power and ground. The I can run my injection back to a fuse (one 5 amp fuse per prop in this case) and if one fuse blows its isolated from the other props!
I am still unsure how to work out what size fuse to use, I know that's linked to the wire size, but still doesn't help decide what fuse to use....
Does all this sound right. (hope that all my some kind of sense)
But I am determined to learn, I still find amps and watts way over my head but I guess I will get there...
...todays question is more about current draw (I think) through a fuse....
When I built my mega tree I followed Ruprects instructions, pretty much to the letter, even buying the same 600w meanwell power supply. I its run pretty well for 3 years just of that one power supply (which I did blow up this year and have 2 new 600w arriving today..... ). The tree has 8 injection, fuses (15amp no reasoning behind this and that's way to big I know, I think 10amp would suffice, and I think the wire would cope. but again no actual reasoning behind that thought). These branch out into 4 injection points each, so effectively each fuse is responsible for just 176 12v pixels.
However, I think, with the way its put together, if a fuse blows, rather than one section of the tree going out, (or I guess all the tree, depending on which fuse blows) the load will be passed to the next fuse, presumably blowing it, because its now overloaded, and then the same thing happens again, until all 8 fuses are blown....
I think I need to be cutting power at some point to isolate each fuse from the others.
SOOOO.... I am updating my 5v arches.... 100pixels per arch. I have used 3pin pigtails for the power ground and data in, and out, however on the out pigtail I have not connected the power wire. For power at both ends I have 2pin pigtails connected to both power and ground. The I can run my injection back to a fuse (one 5 amp fuse per prop in this case) and if one fuse blows its isolated from the other props!
I am still unsure how to work out what size fuse to use, I know that's linked to the wire size, but still doesn't help decide what fuse to use....
Does all this sound right. (hope that all my some kind of sense)